Irish Alliance for Europe calls for Yes vote

Irish voters should not vent their dissatisfaction with the current Government by voting No to Nice but should vote Yes in the interest of the State's continued prosperity, according to the Irish Alliance for Europe.

The organisation, comprising business groups and civic bodies, claims European enlargement will still take place even if the Nice Treaty is rejected.

However, the process will be much slower and more expensive, and Ireland will be remembered for being the member state responsible for leading the EU down that more difficult path, the group argues.

The alliance unveiled its arguments in favour of a Yes vote at a press conference in Dublin yesterday. Speakers included Mr Chris Horn, chairman of Iona Technologies; Mr Jack Golden, human resources director of CRH; Mr Sean Melly, chief executive of eTel Group and Ms Lorraine Sweeney, businesswoman and founding chairwoman of the Small Firms Association.

Opening the conference, TCD Professor of International Business Mr Colm Kearney rejected speculation that a Yes vote will result in Ireland being flooded with cheap labour. He said many recent studies have concluded that a maximum of three million people will move from candidate states in eastern and central Europe to current EU member states over the next 15 to 20 years. And 80 per cent of these will move to Germany and Austria, which are close to their homelands and where they already have "strong migrant networks".

Mr Horn said a ratification of the treaty will maximise exports to candidate countries and create jobs at home.

"The IT sector is tight enough at the moment, we need all the breaks we can get," he said.

A No vote will diminish our attractiveness for foreign investment and voters should not use the referendum to punish the current Government, he said.

"If we hit our Government we will be hitting ourselves, and very hard indeed," he said.

Mr Golden said a No vote would be interpreted as Ireland being "self-centred and selfish". He added that trade between Ireland and the candidate countries has increased five-fold in as many years "and can do so again".

The gains made under enlargement will "spin back to the Irish economy in employment, revenue increases and growth", he said.